Mar 18, 2019; Tokyo, Japan; Oakland Athletics third baseman Cliff Pennington (15) throws the ball on the run to first base during the eighth inning against the Nippon Ham Fighters at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Former Texas A&M Aggies Infielder Hired As Assistant Coach By Michael Earley

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 9:15 PM ET

In addition to keeping some of his star players, as well as his job for the 2026 season, Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley is adding an ex-Aggie baseballer to his coaching staff for the season.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ryan Brauninger of TexAgs reported that former major league infielder Cliff Pennington would be joining the Aggie baseball team as an assistant coach, working with the infield on defense and also being the team's third base coach.

Pennington, who donned the Maroon and White for then-head coach Mark Johnson from 2003 to 2005, was named an All-American in 2005, and was then drafted in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and would make his major league debut in August of 2008, hitting his first home run the following year and establishing himself as a reliable utility player, playing mainly shortstop and third baseman in addition to the occasional reps at second base.

After Stephen Drew was acquired by Oakland to cover shortstop, and Josh Donaldson began to rise as the team's star third baseman, Pennington was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in October of 2012, and would play short stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, and Cincinnati Reds up until 2018.

After a small second stint with the Athletics and a short time in the minor leagues with the New York Yankees, Pennington quietly retired from the diamond in 2019 and was later hired by Texas A&M as a student assistant coach.

The Corpus Christi native finished his decade-long professional career with a batting average of .242, which brought along 36 home runs and 242 runs batted in.

After the conclusion of the 2021 season, Pennington would head over to the Dallas Baptist Patriots as a recruiting coordinator, where has been until this afternoon.

The major league experience that Pennington carries is sure to be beneficial for young Aggie stars on the infield such as Gavin Grahovac and also Kaeden Kent, should he choose to live out his senior year of eligibility in College Station.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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